Volume 71 Obon, Koso-ki, and Pope Francis...Some of you have already heard me speak about the Dialogue at Sunday services and I’ve got much more to touch on in future Sunday talks

Obon, Koso-ki, and Pope Francis

Before talking about the past – my trip to Rome in June – I want to talk about

the special events coming up in August. On Saturday August 15 we are having our

annual Bon Odori, joyful circle dances in honor of our loved ones. We moved it

later this year to avoid being on the same Saturday as other Japanese community

events (unfortunately that strategy didn’t work –

Kokyo Taiko is playing at the Chicago Botanic

Garden’s Japanese Festival that day). Even if you

can’t make it on that date, you are welcome to enjoy

the dances at the five practice sessions (see Events

and Calendar for the times).

On Sunday August 16 is the Obon service. It is

a time to remember all our loved ones in a solemn

way, and in particular to pay respect to those who

passed away since the last Obon. Those names are

found on the Hatsubon list on page 2. If we made an

error in listing your loved one, please let us know

before Obon.

This year we are having a special commemoration of Koso-ki, the memorial

for Haya Akegarasu (1877-1954). Rev. Marvin Harada of the Orange County

Buddhist Church will conduct a Koso-ki seminar on Saturday, August 29 and will

be our guest speaker at the Koso-ki service on Sunday, August 30. Rev. Harada

while studying to be a minister, spent a half-year in Chicago studying under Rev.

Gyomay Kubose. When he went to Japan, he wanted to learn more about Rev.

Kubose’s teacher and studied Akegarasu’s works extensively. Rev. Harada has

translated much of Akegarasu’s commentary on the Larger Sutra and he refers to it

in his lectures throughout California. The Koso-ki seminar will be a great

opportunity to learn from one of the foremost English-speaking experts on

Akegarasu.

Now getting back to the past. As part of the Catholic-Buddhist Dialogue from

June 23 to June 27 in Rome, our group of about fifty Catholic and Buddhist

representatives from the United States was granted a private audience with Pope

Francis on June 24. Although some people prepared speeches to introduce

themselves or advocate some cause, all I could do was bow when I met the Pope. I

recall Rev. Gyoko Saito captured in a photo in the Los Angeles Times, bowing

when he met the Pope John Paul II at an interfaith event in 1987.

As much as it is a thrill to shake the hand of a worldwide celebrity, looking

back on the experience I realize the amazing thing I witnessed was a very

genuinely humble man showing total respect to each person he greeted. It didn’t

matter if they were clergy or lay, male or female – he showed his heart of loving-

kindness equally to each one of us.

I learned much from the Dialogue and was inspired by several of the speakers,

especially the Buddhist nuns, who spoke so concretely about people who put

Buddhism into practice. Some of you have already heard me speak about the

Dialogue at Sunday services and I’ve got much more to touch on in future Sunday

talks.

In case you’re wondering what I talked about, I was on the panel with the

topic “Social issues that need to be addressed today.” All of us on the panel agreed

to talk specifically about our own locations as a way of suggesting ways we, the

Buddhists and Catholics, can work together.

So in the context of the conference, here’s some of what I said:

(Continued on page 6)

Rev. Patti Nakai Resident Minister

For more writings

by Rev. Nakai, visit her blog,

Taste of Chicago Buddhism, at:

tinyurl.com/chibud

This article continues on page 6 at bottom.

Bill Bohlman BTC President

Note: There is no message from the

president this month due to Bill’s hospitalization in

July. He is at home and recovering

well. We hope to see him feeling

better and back at the temple soon. A special thanks to Bill, who again

chaired the Natsu Matsuri Committee

this year. See pages 4 and 5 for

2015 Natsu Matsuri coverage.

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Volume 71 Number 11

August 2015 A.D. 2558 B.E.

Articles

Obon, Koso-ki, and Pope Francis, by Rev. Patti Nakai

........................ 1

Thanks from Craft Group, by Alice Murata ............... 4

Movie Review: Enlightenment in Talking, by Candy Minx .................. 6

News & Items

Bon Odori ........... 2

Hatsubon ........... 2

Special Koso-Ki Seminar ............. 2

Reminder: EBL Conference ......... 2

Sangha News ...... 4

Poem: An Ugly Eagle, by Eshin Justin Woodward

........................ 4

Natsu Matsuri in Pictures ............. 5

Regular Features

Temple News ...... 3

Thank You! ......... 3

Mission Statement ........................ 3

Events ............... 7

Calendar ............ 8

Address: 1151 W Leland Ave.

Chicago, IL 60640-5043

Telephone: 773-334-4661

Resident Minister

Rev. Patti Nakai

Minister Emeritus Rev. Yukei Ashikaga

President Bill Bohlman

Page 2 www.Buddhis tTempleChicago.org BTC Bul le t in

Bon Odori Dance Practices start August 3

Men, women and children: get out your dancing slippers (“zori”). Bon Odori, the joyous remembrance of lost loved ones, is coming up. There will be five practice sessions leading at 7:30 pm on Aug. 3 (Mon), 5 (Wed), 7 (Fri), 10 (Mon), & 12 (Wed), with optional Bon Odori performance Aug 15 (Sat). Even if you are unsure about participating in Bon Odori, please come to any of the practice sessions just for the fun of it, to reunite with old friends and meet new ones and to get a bit of exercise in. The dances are based on traditional Japanese folk dancing and consist of simple moves in repeated patterns. You can bring your own props or borrow what we have at the temple – folding fans (“sensu”), round fans (“uchiwa”), towels (“tenugui”) and wooden castanets (“kachi-kachi”). Feel free to wear kimono or whatever you’d like. Everyone is welcome, so bring your family and friends of all ages.

H

A

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S

U

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07/24/2014 Calvin Manshio

08/11/2014 Noboru Asato

09/19/2014 Russell Ansai

11/01/2014 Robert C. Bryson

11/03/2014 Nobuko Sasamoto

11/06/2014 Joseph Korner

11/18/2014 Dorothy Chvatal

01/07/2015 Nancee B. Bryson

01/11/2015 Giichi Moriwaki

01/29/2015 Haruko Tademoto

02/21/2015 Richard Brandon

03/06/2015 Arthur J. Schoendorff

03/08/2015 Mimi Hansen

03/23/2015 Don Kubose

04/03/2015 Penelope Kajiwara

04/14/2015 Jennie Watanabe

04/20/2015 Hiroshi Nakano

04/28/2015 Dick Hirata

05/11/2015 Betty Tanakatsubo

05/14/2015 Hiroshi Mizumoto

05/15/2015 James Ruel Hoots

05/16/2015 Koki Abe

07/07/2015 Hide Kikuchi Color white before print. Prevents table merging.

Special Koso-Ki Seminar

Rev. Marvin Harada of the Orange

County Buddhist Church will give a special

seminar for Koso-Ki to celebrate the annual

memorial of Haya Akegarasu on August 29

from 1:30 to 4:30. He will also give the

Dharma Talk at Sunday service the next

day.

Rev. Harada received his B.A. in

Religious Studies from the University of

Oregon, an M.A. in Buddhist Studies from

the Institute of Buddhist Studies, and also

an M.A. from Ryukoku University in

Kyoto, Japan. In Chicago, Rev. Harada

studied under Rev. Gyomay Kubose at the

Buddhist Temple of Chicago from 1980-

1981. Following this, he studied in Kyoto,

Japan from 1981 through 1986. In 1986, he

was assigned to the Orange County

Buddhist Church, where he is resident

minister. He is also co-director of the

Center for Buddhist Education and

executive assistant to the bishop of the

Buddhist Churches of America.

REMINDER: Labor Day Weekend, September 4-6

2015 Eastern Buddhist League Conference

The 2015 Eastern Buddhist League Conference will be held

in Cleveland, Ohio over Labor Day weekend, Friday, September 4

to Sunday, September 6. This year’s theme is, “I Go to the Sangha

for Guidance.” What does it mean for us and others today? What

is the role and purpose of the sangha in the world? How can the

sangha communicate to others the peace and joy of leading a Shin

life?

Author and scholar Jeff Wilson will deliver the keynote

address and participate in the workshops. He has written

numerous books and articles on the development of Buddhism in

America, including several works on the place of Shin Buddhism.

He is contributing editor for Tricycle magazine and author of the

books Buddhism of the Heart, Dixie Dharma, and Mindful

America.

Cleveland Buddhist Temple has negotiated a great group rate

at the new Westin Cleveland Downtown hotel. The Midwest

Buddhist Temple is planning to get a bus and hopes BTC

delegates will join them. BTC should have registration packets

available at the information counter starting in May.

More information and online registration is available at:

www.EBL2015.weebly.com.

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August 2015 www.Buddhis tTempleChicago.org Page 3

Temple News June 2015

6/07 June monthly memorial service. *** Shoshinge

class met. *** Japanese service was cancelled.

6/09 Rev. Ashikaga conducted 49th Day memorial for

Dick Hirata at BTC. *** Bon Odori dance teachers’ group

met to plan for 2015 Bon Odori. The program will be much

the same as last year’s with a couple different dances (no

new dances).

6/12 Rev. Ashikaga

conducted gravesite

memorial service (O-

haka Mairi) for

Munemoto family at

Montrose Cemetery.

6/13 Asoka Society met to do temple clean-up.

6/14 Dharma School chaired the Sunday service,

provided music and presented “Eightfold Path Jeopardy”

game-show quiz. *** Rev. Nakai conducted memorial

service for the late Mr. Hiroshi Nakano at BTC.

6/16 Rev. Nakai attended monthly Uptown Clergy

luncheon. *** Upaya group had “Movie Night” and

watched “About Time.”

6/19 July bulletin mailed. *** Philosophy class from

Harold Washington City College visited.

6/20 Natsu Matsuri preparation. *** Rev. Ashikaga

conducted memorial service for the late Mr. Koki Abe at

Lakeview Funeral Home.

6/21 Natsu Matsuri summer festival. *** Rev. Nakai

departs for Rome, Italy to participate in week-long

Catholic-Buddhist dialogue.

6/28 Lay Speaker service. Darryl Shishido was the

speaker. *** Board of Directors met. *** Rev. Ashikaga

conducted 49th Day memorial service for Betty

Tanakatsubo at BTC.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU,

THANK YOU!

Understanding the Nembutsu through

recognizing the Paramitas in others.

Send in your recognitions!

Sunday Service Participants: Ed Horiuchi, Anna Idol,

Lynnell Long, Lynn Maruyama, Darryl Shishido, Karl

Zawadzki, Dharma School: Alivia, Bea, Damarian, Ian,

Josef, Kestral, Wen Qing, Will, Yulian

Accompanists: Mrs. Ashikaga, Drea Gallaga, Dharma

School Violins

Audio Controls: Jacob and Wendy Fawcett, Gary T.

Nakai

Sunday Service Refreshments: Noreen Enkoji, Haru Ito,

Jerry and Jane Morishige, Otto and Frances Patzwaldt,

Fumiko Takata, Ruby Tsuji, Peggy Waters, Upaya Group

Bulletin Mailing: Karen Baier, Dennis Chan, Betty

Dunn, Noreen Enkoji, Ed Horiuchi, Haru Ito, Amy and

Morris Kawamoto, Tom Lane, Alice Murata, Anna Nagata,

Masa Nakata, Helene Rom, Mary Shimomura, Ruby Tsuji,

Peggy Waters

Cleaning Temple washrooms: Anonymous.

Taking care of the Temple inside and out: Tomio

Tademoto.

Maintaining and updating the Temple computer: John

Kelly, Gary T. Nakai.

Maintaining and updating the Temple website: Ann Yi.

Emptying the trash bins, filling them with new bags and

putting them out for disposal: Adam Kellman, Ruby Tsuji.

Cleaning Hondo and Nokotsudo: Michael Yasukawa

Administrative Office Volunteers: Ruth Abbinanti,

Nancey Epperson, Candy Minx, Carl Scroggins, Darryl

Shishido, Linda Triplett, Ruby Tsuji.



BTC Bulletin

Team Ruth Abbinanti, Rev. Patti Nakai, Gary T. Nakai,

Darryl Shishido, Ruby Tsuji, Ann Yi (Editor)

Feedback & Submissions Comments, corrections,

questions, & suggestions welcome. Submissions of

articles, essays, book reviews, photos, poetry, news

items, announcements, drawings, etc., strongly

encouraged. Submissions will be reviewed for suitability

and space availability. Anonymous submissions will not

be published, but author’s names may be withheld from

publication upon request.

Contact E-mail [email protected] or

speak with anyone on the BTC Team

© Copyright 2015 BTC Bulletin, except where otherwise noted.

Mission Statement

Founded in 1944 as an administratively independent temple,

The Buddhist Temple of Chicago aspires to the following:

To present and explore the Three Treasures of Buddhism – the Buddha (teacher), the Dharma (teachings), and the Sangha (community).

To be guided and inspired by the historical Buddha, Gautama

Shakyamuni, and the teachers who have followed – Shinran Shonin, Manshi Kiyozawa, and Haya Akegarasu.

To present the Buddha-Dharma in a language and manner relevant and understandable in contemporary America.

To welcome all who seek the Dharma without any exceptions.

To be a positive presence in our local community working to enhance the vitality of our neighborhood.

To honor and continue the traditions of our founding members.

To always live the Nembutsu – Namu Amida Butsu.

Our deepest sympathy to

the family and friends of:

Koki Abe

Hiroshi Nakano


An Ugly Eagle By Eshin Justin Woodward

Editor’s Note: We received this poem from past BTC member, Justin Woodward. Justin often lent his musical talents (keyboard, trumpet) at Sunday services and took care of the weekly cleaning. Several years ago, he moved to Oregon to pursue graduate studies in music and now lives at the Buddha Eye Temple (Soto Zen) in Eugene, where he recently took the Bodhisattva precepts and received the Dharma Name “Eshin.” His poem describes his encounter with Other Power.

An Ugly Eagle

An ugly eagle flew across my vision.

Lost in discerning thoughts and memories

Of a life, a name, a habit no longer lived,

I did not perceive the eagle’s beauty

Until I felt her liberation;

From limb, from tree, and from ground;

Blow across my face,

Carrying with it my breath

And my distraction.

Sangha News: New Sangha Member!

Joe and Sarah Phillips have a brand-new son, born

June 22 at 11:32am, weighing in at 6lbs 14oz. “Sarah had a

beautiful 20 hour labor,” they report, “and Joe had the

pleasure of catching him and placing him on mom's chest.

Everyone is happy and healthy. We cannot wait for him to

meet you!”


Natsu Matsuri 2015:

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You from the Craft Group By Alice Murata

Our craft group is grateful to everyone who helped us

make Natsu Matsuri 2015 successful. This year we made

pillows to raffle instead of the usual handmade quilt, and

for the third time, Vernon Shabunia of Portland, Oregon

was the grand prize winner. All three times he generously

passed on the prizes so that others could benefit. Alice and

Kay Nojiri of Lombard took his place as the grand prize

winners. Let’s keep our fingers crossed so that next time

Vernon wins a monetary prize. For the first time we had a

second prize of batik and kimono pillows, which were won

by Janice Shigihara. Thanks to all who supported our raffle.

We are very grateful and fortunate to have many

talented friends and relatives among our friendships who

can be counted on to help us raise funds. Special this year

were pillows designed by artists Gene Skala and

Adamandia Kapsalis for our craft raffle. In addition to our

talented craft group member, Fumiko Takata’s very cute

wool animals and objects, we featured necklaces designed

by Noreen Enkoji’s daughter, Aileen Rosen.

Many donations from outside of the craft group were

donated to us. A huge thanks to Hisayo Ashikaga, Karen

Baier, Bill Bohlman, Juanita Burris, Dennis Chan, Jane Ike,

Marion Ishii, Shirleen Kajiwara, Eric Kato, Gwen Kato,

Ingeborg Kohler, Stuart Mizuta, Laura Muraoka, Anna

Nagata, Lisa and Stan Oda, Dennie Okuhara, Lynn Osato,

Lisa and Keith Philibert, Tak and Tommi Tomiyama, Lori

Wing, Ann Yi, Betty Yoshioka, and the estates of Mimi

Hansen, Merry Hirata, and Jennie Watanabe. This list may

not be complete and we apologize if we omitted your name.

Donations and purchases of Japanese goods, gift items,

handmade items, and other treasures are gratefully

acknowledged.

We had assistance to set up, manage, and clean up the

gift section. Thanks to Rachel Abbinanti, Karen Baier,

Juanita Burris, Nancy Epperson, Mary Getty, Lynnell Long,

Laura Muraoka, Linda Tademoto, and the chicken crew.

Friends of BTC helped make the wonderful BTC

Cultural exhibit of temari balls organized by Jane and Jerry

Morishige even better. Arigato gozimashita to Hayako

Kikuchi, Kimi Kimura, Hisako Kometani, Ikue Matsuda,

Alice Murata, and Florence Yoshida.

After Natsu Matsuri ended, the craft group gave unsold

items to use for BTC picnic prizes and to Heiwa Terrace for

bingo prizes and handmade baby hats for their knitting

project.

This year’s Craft Group members include Ruth

Abbinanti, Mandy Kapsalis, Alice Murata, Shizue

Nakanishi, Arlene Nozawa, Fumi Takata, Ruby Tsuji, and

Beth Windisch.

This season we lost our longtime mentor, Jennie

Watanabe. She is greatly missed. Thanks to her family for

the generous donation made to our craft group.



Natsu Matsuri 2015 in Pictures

Photos by Alice Murata and Lynnell Long


Enlightenment In Talking By Candy Minx

“Enlightenment is here for everyone at the present moment. The only thing you need do to to become enlightened is drop all concepts, ideas and beliefs, also about enlightenment; leave your ego; leave mind behind; drop the thinking that you are not enlightened, that something is missing; or give up seeking. In this process, there is also a total experience of everything as divine, or a willingness to embrace everything. Beyond the individual mind and all collected concepts, there is consciousness, Nothingness, non-individuality, no sense of self, Emptiness, God or the divine. There is a clear emphasis that everyone is already enlightened – we only have to realize it. – Anamika Angsbacka

Arjuna defines enlightenment as the absolute willingness to embrace everything. – Bette Alvers

[Quotes from “The Satsang Network,” by Lislotte Frisk, a study of Westerners claiming to have attained enlightenment.]

Oh okay, no problem. I can do that, while I pay the rent, pick up the kids, make a big sale at work, get along with my neighbors who just cut down all the trees on the street, and drive through rush hour traffic. One of the reasons I enjoy the story of Arjuna, the protagonist in the Bhagavad Gita, is because it portrays how it feels to begin to practice Buddhism: Arjuna’s doubts and challenges mirror some of the same aspects we find in Siddhartha’s narrative arc. These two stories examine the transition from ignorance to awareness of the self, or the mind, in the context of community. I also love the stories of how other people began to practice Buddhism. The anecdotes or accounts of someone coming to Buddhism often convey conflict, change or crisis. Or a turning point. That turning point might offer a paradigm shift, peak experience or “a-ha moments”. A paradigm shift is a surprise from learning. Three examples of secular narratives built on paradigm shifts in mainstream culture are a genre within science fiction called “first contact”, the “coming out” accounts of LGBT persons, and the discursive practices of AA meetings.

Learning and thinking about things in a different way can be very scary. We might associate learning with school, where if we didn’t learn, we failed. Or if we changed our ideas about something, that means we didn’t know something before. We associate being wrong as painful, so painful, that pride will defend our side of the story at any cost. Being humble is associated with weakness in the United States. Fear of being wrong may prevent us from talking about how we might have changed or how we might open up to change. Fear of failure might prevent us from being open-minded. We associate failure with shame. Change and changing our sense of who we are, can also be labeled weak, or flaky, or wishy-washy. So how do we approach philosophical ideas that seem so different than belief systems we grew up with? How do we balance our fear of being wrong, with the wish of being open-minded? Let’s face it, even “Buddhism-lite” is very different than the dominant global cultural values. When we think of how crisis sometimes brings a change we might also see how we seek a crisis in order to change. We associate a change in thinking with extreme circumstances like jumping out of an aircraft, traveling to an exotic location, ingesting psychotropic plants, taking seminars or hearing of a new scientific discovery. Those may be valid ways to experience the surprise of learning, but most of us only have those options available to us a few times in a our life. And this is why I love hearing other peoples’ experiences with Buddhism in their daily life because it helps to open me up to the surprise of learning without breaking my leg careening through the sky with a parachute. Talking and listening is universal. It’s fairly economical too. What does all this have to do with August’s movie night? Well, it’s a documentary of people, experts if you will, talking about Buddhism. Listening to their views on Buddhism potentially gives us something to think about in a new format. The film is called Wisdom and Compassion. I came across a recommendation of this movie on a blog. I surfed the internet but couldn’t find a copy of it anywhere for sale or download. I had to email the blog and eventually got a response in my email from the director of the movie. His email told me where to mail a money order for a copy of the DVD. I went to a currency exchange, got a

(Continued on next page at top)

. . . Obon, Koso-ki, and Pope Francis (Continued from page 1)

In Shin Buddhism, each and every being is embraced in the Great Compassion of what is referred to as the Unbounded Light and Life, Amitabha/Amitayus – sometimes translated as “Other Power” or “Power Beyond Self.” The problem is this “Amida” is talked about as some far-off divine power when actually the great Pure Land masters teach us that “Amida” literally means the Light (wisdom) and Life (compassion) that is all around us and deep within us. It is easy to feel embraced by the love of our family and friends and those who seem very similar to us in appearance, mental/physical ability and socio-economic status. But we really can’t talk about Oneness unless we are open to the Light and Life of those outside of our comfortable circle. Oneness includes all the “others.” I interpret the Dharma as opening up the temple to all of our immediate neighborhood, especially where there is so much brokenness – people struggling on low or no incomes, dealing with disabilities and substance abuse, the stress of criminal and domestic violence, racism and mistreatment by the police and other authorities. Our temple must always

offer the Dharma to all who want to hear it by trying to be welcoming and accessible to all the “others.” [I spoke of one man who has trouble speaking clearly due to a head injury as an example of someone living nearby who feels at home at our Sunday services and study group meetings.] But another thing we can offer our community is our space – to let them know it’s okay to come inside and see our temple rather than treating it as a fortress for our members. The community forum on mental health services in April was a wonderful opportunity to bring people into our temple and to learn about their concerns. During the summer our temple is hosting the English classes in the Chinese Mutual Aid Association’s citizenship program. This is a chance for these immigrants from all over the world to feel welcomed. And August 2nd our temple will be hosting the Treasures of Uptown Interfaith Coalition’s public forum on homelessness.

Lastly, I wish to express my gratitude to our Sangha, whose untiering efforts resulted in another successful Natsu Matsuri. The activities prior to, during, and afterward is always a lot of work. It is truly the Pure Land to be amid such selfless cooperation and busyness!



. . . Enlightenment In Talking (Continued from previous page)

money order while on the the way downtown with my husband. I had a stamped envelope ready with a note to include with my money order. I couldn’t see a mailbox. So my husband and I thought we would find a mailbox downtown after we got off the CTA train. We arrive downtown and begin our errands. After a couple of hours we stopped for a drink and I realized I had completely forgotten about my envelope to mail. I had lost it. I was pretty sure I had lost it on the train. All I could do was hope someone would find my envelope and drop it in a mailbox. And then I just let go of the whole thing and carried on with life at hand. About a month later the DVD arrived in the mail. Wow! That’s so cool, I thought. I looked forward to sharing this story sometime. Talking about Buddhism, especially with other practitioners, about its application in daily life offers an opportunity for

paradigm shifts. I feel it’s a sort of reset button for the mind. I believe it’s an intrinsic part of the dharma. And I believe ordinary, everyday regular practitioners of Buddhism are every bit experts as the folks in this amazing film called Wisdom and Compassion. After all, a regular average person in the world practiced wisdom and compassion by putting my lost envelope in the mail. Let’s give each other some credit, some respect, and keep on talking and sharing our practice with each other. Being able to embrace everything is not only a way to be humble and listen to others, it’s also a way to understand that everyone is learning different things at different times. Wisdom and Compassion is narrated by Peter Coyote featuring interviews with Robert Thurman, John Daido Loori, H.H. Sakya Trizin, Donald Lopez and others. Movie night is August 18 at 7 p.m. All are welcome and admission is free. Refreshments will be available and guests are welcome to bring snacks to share.

Color white before print. Prevents table merging. August Temple Events & Activities Guide

See Calendar on page 8 for specific dates. Up-to-date details and last-minute changes are available on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/budtempchi All events are free, held at the Temple (unless otherwise noted), and open to the public.

Color white before print. Prevents table merging. Special Services & Events

August 2, Sunday, 11 am – Shotsuki Hoyo Monthly Memorial Service (English). August 15 Saturday, Bon Odori, 7:30 pm – 9 pm August 3, 5, 7, 10, 12, Bon Odori Practice, 7:30 pm - 8:30 pm August 18, 7 pm – Movie Night, Wisdom and Compassion August 29, 2015 Saturday, Koso-ki Seminar, 1:30-4:30 pm. See page 2. August 30, 2015 Sunday, 11 am – Kosoki (Haya Akegarasu Memorial)

Regular Sunday Services

Religious Service (in English) – Sundays, 11 am. Lay Speaker Sunday – Generally the third Sunday of the month, 11 am. This month: August 16.

Education & Meditation

Dharma Sunday School (for children) – Second and fourth Sundays, 11 am. Summer break until Sept. 13. Introduction to Buddhism – This 4-week course is held periodically throughout the year. E-mail Rev. Nakai at [email protected]. Buddhism Study Class – Every Wednesday, 7 to 8:30 pm. No previous Buddhism study required. Summer break until Sept. 16. Meditation – Sundays at 9 am and Thursdays, 7:30 pm. Thursday sessions on break July and August. Sunday sessions will meet intermittently – please sign up for e-mail notices. Sutra Study Class – Generally 2nd or 3rd Sunday of the month, 12:30 to 2 pm. No previous Buddhism study required. This month: August 9.

Meetings, Socials, Volunteering

Asoka Society – Generally the third Saturday of the month, 1 pm. This month: August 15. Board Meeting – Once a month, Sunday, 12:30 pm. August 30. BTC Bulletin mailing – Generally 2nd-to-last Friday of the month, 10 am, as many volunteers as possible much appreciated. This month: August 21. BTC submissions – See page 3 for details on submissions. Generally due 8 days prior to the mailing on Thursday, 6 pm. This month: August 13. BTC Young Adults Group – Check the Bulletin for events scheduled throughout the year.

Cultural Activities

Chinese Movement (Qigong) – Tuesdays, 11 am to noon. Call Dennis Chan 312-771-6087 for info. Crafts Group – First & third Saturdays, 10 am to noon. Japanese Fencing (Kendo) – Dojo sessions held every Tuesday from 8 to 10 pm at Bethany United Church. Call Bob Kumaki, 847-853-1187 for info. Japanese Language School (children or adults) – Every Saturday, 10 am. Call Temple to register. On break after June 13. Japanese Swordsmanship (Iaido) – Mondays, 7 to 9 pm. This month: August 11 (Tuesday), 17, 24, 31. Taiko (BTC Kokyo Taiko Drum Troupe) – Adults, Fridays, 7 to 9 pm. Children, 1st, 3rd, and 5th Sundays at 11 am. This month: August 14, 21, 28, Email [email protected] to confirm. Children: [email protected] for appointments.

BTC Calendar August 2015

日本語の祥月法要

8月2日午後1:00 時

See Temple Events & Activities Guide on page 7 for details on events.

Events may be canceled or moved after press time due to unforeseen circumstances.

Check www.facebook.com/budtempchi for the most up-to-date changes.

Sun Mon Tues Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

2

11 am Monthly Memorial Service 1 pm Shotsuki Hoyo Service (Japanese)

3

7:30 pm Bon Odori Practice

4

11 am Qigong 7 pm Iaido

5


6

7 pm Kokyo Taiko

7


8

9 11 am Service 12:30 Sutra study

10 7:30 pm Bon Odori Practice

11 11 am Qigong 7 pm Iaido

12 7:30 pm Bon Odori Practice

13 6 pm Bulletin Submissions Due

14 7 pm Kokyo Taiko

15 1 pm Asoka Society 7:30-9:00 pm Bon Odori

16 11am Obon Service

17 7 pm Iaido

18 11 am Qigong 7pm Movie Night

19 20

21 10 am Bulletin Mailing 7 pm Kokyo Taiko

22

23 11 am Service

24 7 pm Iaido

25 11 am Qigong

26

27

28 7 pm Kokyo Taiko

29 1:30-4:30 pm Koso-ki Seminar

30 11am Kosoki Service (Haya Akegarasu Memorial) 12:30 pm Board Meeting

31 7 pm Iaido

Documents

Volume 71 Obon, Koso-ki, and Pope Francis...Some of you have already heard me speak about the Dialogue at Sunday services and I’ve got much more to touch on in future Sunday talks